People in recovery talk about self-care a lot, and there’s a good reason for that. Taking care of your self, and your selfhood, is an important part of recovery. It requires forgiveness of yourself and a willingness to take care of your body and mind. While we’ve covered this topic in the past, people often wonder what other ways there are to take care of themselves besides the obvious.
As the New Year approaches, try to make it a “thing” to treat yourself a little more gently.
Here is a list of 25 self-care ideas:
- Buy a nice shampoo or body wash or make one from homemade ingredients. Take a longer shower or bath than normal and really enjoy the time to yourself.
- Buy yourself a special cup of coffee or tea that you keep on hand for self-care a few times a week.
- Watch old reruns of tv shows you liked as a kid.
- Go to a new 12-step meeting once a week.
- Read a daily meditation book and sit quietly for a few minutes to think about it.
- Watch a fun cartoon on television.
- Watch cat or dog videos online.
- Spend time playing with your cat.
- Buy a book and teach your dog new tricks.
- Cuddle with your favorite animal.
- Bake cookies and invite a friend over to share.
- Watch your favorite movie.
- Take time to journal every day.
- Read whatever you want for at least 15 minutes a day.
- Get your haircut.
- Buy yourself a new piece of jewelry or a new bag.
- Go on a nature walk.
- Go to the beach once a week.
- Learn yoga.
- Take time every day to learn a new language.
- Take an online class.
- Join a therapy group.
- Color with adult coloring books.
- Start gardening.
- Create art. Collage, painting, whatever you want to try!
Self-care is doing what feels good to your body, mind and spirit. (Of course, that excludes things that hurt you, like using alcohol or drugs.) After all, addiction caused you to treat your body, mind, and spirit poorly. It probably left some scars. In recovery, you’re going to do a lot of healing. Self-care helps you get through some of the rough spots in life. It nurtures the person you are and helps you become the person you want to be.
Getting Help for an Addiction
Do you or somebody you love have a problem with drugs or alcohol. You’re not alone! Many people from different walks of life have been caught in the web of addiction and find a new way to live.
Reaching out can be the hardest part of getting help, but we are here because we WANT you to get the help you need. Give yourself a chance. Just call us at 1-800-970-8774 to learn about your first steps and detox.
